The Exchange Student
by Tarica
Summary: Gohan thinks he's just being sent to America to get an education. He doesn't expect to run into a new set of adventures while he's there.
1. Chapter 1

**This story is based on the plot outline of the same name by Jerribrent. It has been approved by she and 15dragondream, who is also basing a story on the outline. I have not read her story to avoid influencing mine. I do not own DBZ or X-Men: Evolution.**

**_Italics_ are thoughts.  
**

* * *

"Aw, mom! Do I have to?" It was just like her to spring something like this on him, Gohan reflected. It had been the same since he was kid, with every new study technique, and each tutor. Even sending him the 500 miles to Orange Star High School every day had been a surprise, though he had ended up enjoying his time there, making the best of it by playing the Great Saiyaman after classes ended.

"You are going to America to attend Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, and that's final, Gohan!" Chi-Chi ignored the wince from her son. "My boy is gifted and he deserves the best education available."

Her tone became decidedly wishy washy and Gohan tuned her out as she went on about her dreams for his future. There was just no arguing with her when she was like this, probably why Goten and his dad had flown the coop. He let her ramble for a few minutes before finally giving in. Neither he nor his dad could really say no to anything that made her happy, after all, call it thanks for putting up with all the training and life threatening battles. He sighed. One of the strongest men on the planet, and he was incapable of saying no to his mom.

"Okay, mom. I'll go."

Chi Chi's rambling ceased immediately, and Gohan found himself pulled into a hug. It was a few minutes before they broke apart.

"When do I leave?"

"Leave? Didn't I mention that? Your plane leaves tomorrow Gohan. You better get packed."

"T-tommorow?" Oh yes, she had definitely planned this well in advance. Even his dad wouldn't be able to help him out of this one.

His suitcase was nearly full when he heard his mom go to bed. Throwing a set of training clothes in, just in case, he pulled the zipper on the thing shut just as he felt Goten and his dads energies enter the house. Sure enough, a few seconds later his dad appeared in his bedroom doorway.

"Hey, Gohan. Sorry I wasn't there earlier." Goku apologized, sitting down on his sons bed. "I tried to argue for you when she told me, but it didn't go well."

"Did she get upset and go on about how I'd become a jobless street thug without a proper education?"

Goku chuckled. "She mentioned something about that, yeah."

Gohan couldn't help but smile at his dad's sheepish grin. "Sounds like we got the same speech then. When did she tell you?"

"Earlier this afternoon. Goten and I decided hearing it once was enough."

"Well, I can't disagree with you there." After all, he had heard at least two dozen variations since he was five. He knew the speech better than anyone but Chi Chi.

"Well son, better get a good nights sleep."

"Right. Night dad."

"Night Gohan."

And that was that.

…..

It was a typical morning in the mansion which housed Xavier's school for gifted youngsters. Some students rushed to eat breakfast after hitting the snooze button one too many times, while others struggled to complete forgotten homework, due in their first class of the day. It was a sort of controlled chaos, mastered by the inhabitants of the school. It was almost artful, the way the students used their mutations to move around each other and occasionally aid a friend, without causing problems for anyone else. Even the teachers joined in, the seemingly well choreographed routine pausing only when a telepathic voice echoed in their heads.

"_Good morning, everyone._" The familiar thoughts of Professor Charles Xavier announced. "_Before you all leave for Bayville High, I would like to remind you that our new student will be arriving tonight. I ask you once again not to use your powers near him, as he is not a mutant, and it would be best to ascertain his opinions of us before we reveal ourselves._"

As activities resumed, there was much grumbling from the students about not being able to use their powers freely. Still, they were optimistic about the coming exchange student. Being from Japan, they were aware that his government wasn't having the same arguments over mutant rights. In fact, if the types of things that went on there, such as the legendary Cell Games were as common as they appeared, there was a very good chance the exchange student might find them normal. So it was only with slightly weighted hearts that they left for their classes at Bayville, eager to meet their new classmate when they arrived home.

…..

Gohan found it funny that he could face down the strongest villains in the universe without flinching, but the thought of meeting the other students at his new school turned him into a nervous wreck. He hadn't been able to sleep on the plane, and was once again being forced to hide his super powers. At least the kids at Orange Star High School knew that he was a bit odd, even expecting him to be stronger than usual once he started dating and training with Videl. He had been able to be himself in those halls. At least he would only be at Xavier's school for the remainder of the American school year, September through May.

He found his luggage with ease, before carefully navigating his way though John F. Kennedy International Airport to the pickup area. He spent several minutes looking for a sign with his name on it, before he was approached by a man. Gohan jumped a bit at his gruff tone, direct and to the point.

"You Son Gohan?"

Gohan pushed away the mental image of Vegeta formed by the man's similar stance and apparent attitude and nodded.

"Um, yes."

"Good. Name's Logan. I'm one of the teachers at Xavier's." He motioned the Japanese student to follow him. Gohan pulled his luggage quietly behind the shorter man, musing that if he didn't know his family and Vegeta's where the only Saiyans alive, he'd think this man was one as well. There was something about Logan's no nonsense manner that spoke volumes about his personality, and Gohan was sure the man would never run from a good fight. He was interesting, to say the least.

Logan led him to a mud encrusted Jeep, tossing the luggage in the back.

"Hop in, kid."

Gohan nodded and did as told. The ride passed mostly in silence until Logan asked what type of music he liked, and he admitted that he never listened to much music at all because his mom thought it would interfere with his studying. Logan gave him a look of disbelief.

"Do you ever do anything besides study, kid?'

"Of course I do!"

"Anything fun?"

"Well, yeah… I Fi-play with my little brother Goten out in the woods sometimes." Gohan caught himself before the word 'fight' was completely out of his mouth. He sighed with relief when Logan didn't question the statement.

"Okay, job one for the kids at the mansion. Teach you to have fun." Logan muttered. Gohan winced. Videl was fond of telling him that his idea of fun was not what normal kids considered fun. Maybe this time he could actually succeed at being normal.

After this, Logan turned on the radio flipping stations until he found some heavy rock. Gohan had never heard anything but classics, and found that he enjoyed the fast tempo and riffs. If anything, this type of music would be good to train with. Logan noticed his enjoyment.

"Ask around the institute. I'm sure someone has good rock cds they'd be willing to lend you."

Gohan nodded. "Okay. Thanks!"

The rest of the ride passed with Logan making song and group recommendations. Gohan made mental notes of each, his nerves slowly receding as he found himself warming up to Logan. He was less like Vegeta than he had first assumed, but there was still something about him that reminded Gohan of the Saiyan prince. The two had become quite relaxed, and it was only when they passed through the gates to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters that Gohan felt his nerves return.

They abandoned the jeep and stepped up the stairs. Logan reached the door first, and held it open, taking notice of Gohan's nervous expression.

"Don't worry, kid. They're all harmless. Mostly." The gruff man said with a smirk.

Gohan gulped, again reminded of Vegeta. '_Oh, great. Mom, what have you got me into?'_


	2. Chapter 2

_Italics_** are thoughts, _bold italics_ are writing.**

* * *

The kids looked nice. Or at least, non-threatening. They were gathered on a grand staircase, the main feature of the entry hall. There was an awkward pause as Logan wheeled in Gohan's suitcase, and a man in a wheelchair propelled himself forward. Gohan guessed that this was the institute's headmaster. He wasn't disappointed.

"Ah, Mister Son. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Professor Charles Xavier. Welcome to my school."

Gohan accepted the offered hand and shook it, careful to use a light grip and to show none of his strength.

"Um, thank you. It's nice to meet you." He even gave a small bow, completely conscious of what his mother would say if he didn't use proper manners.

Xavier turned his chair back to the other students, still waiting on the staircase. They were beginning to fidget, already sick of the proper introductions.

"Everyone, this is Son Gohan. As you all know, he is from Japan, and he will be joining you all in your classes on Monday."

"Uh, not tomorrow?" Gohan asked, surprised.

"Silly. Americans don't go to school on Saturdays." stated one of the girls with a giggle. She stepped forward, a brunette in pink, sporting a pony tail. "I'm Kitty." She announced as she halted in front of Gohan, offering her own hand.

"Um, Gohan."

"So Professor X said."

"Yeah, right." Gohan agreed, giving a grin that bordered between goofy and awkward.

"Try not to scare the kid too much." Logan muttered the girl as he trudged by the pair, suitcase in tow. Louder, to Gohan, he informed him that he would deliver the student's luggage to his room, and that one of the other students could help him find it.

Professor Xavier, pleased with the current progression of events, excused himself from the gaggle. "I do have some paperwork to complete, so I'll leave the students to introduce themselves."

Seeing Gohan's acknowledging nod, he wheeled himself towards the entry hall, planning to observe through the minds of his students. Before they could move in on their new classmate however, the rest of the school's teachers stepped forward. Gohan was relieved that he still had a minute or so before he would have to face the waiting group of teenagers.

"Hello, Gohan. I am Ororo Monroe." He shook the hand of a tall black woman with long, snow white hair. "I teach English and history here."

"And I am Hank McCoy." A tall man with navy blue hair shook his hand. "I'll be teaching you science and math here."

"Right." Gohan took careful note. "What does Logan teach?"

"Well, he doesn't teach, so much as coach." Munroe stated. "He's in charge of physical training for some of the students."

"Training?" Maybe he wouldn't have to be so secretive about his own training if some of the other students trained regularly.

"Yes, some of the students are on sports teams at Bayville High School." McCoy explained. "Others compete in sports not offered by the school. If you're interested in anything like that, I'd talk to him."

"Sure." Gohan agreed. At the very least, he supposed he could say he had been training under Mr. Satan back in Japan. He was dating the man's daughter, who was also a fighter, after all. It was completely plausible.

The two stepped aside.

"Go easy on him." McCoy joked to the gaggle of students, and almost instantly, Gohan found himself surrounded by babbling teenagers. Kitty, he belatedly noticed, was clinging to his arm, and had taken it upon herself to introduce him to his fellow classmates. She spoke with a dizzying speed, barely giving him time to acknowledge one person before being dragged onto the next.

"This guy with the blue hair is Kurt, and … oh! This blonde guy over here is Evan, he's Ms. Munroe's nephew. And this is Rogue –

"You can call me Marie." The pretty brunette with the white streak through her bangs interrupted Kitty's tirade.

"What, really?" The other brunette asked, surprised. "She must like you, only Logan is allowed to call her Marie."

She stared after the other girl for a few seconds, obviously confused. Gohan took the reprise as a chance to sort out who he had met from who he hadn't. "She is like, so weird sometimes. Anyway, the guy with the shades is Scott; he never takes them off, eye condition. And this kid here is Jamie, he's the youngest one here…"

Gohan found himself dragged through the crowd for several more minutes before a red head that looked to be about his age stepped in their path.

"And I'm Jean Grey." She announced, smoothly detaching Kitty's hand from the crook of his elbow. "Professor Xavier told me to give you a tour and show you your room."

He could sense something in her ki that told him Professor Xavier told her no such thing, but none the less he accepted her offer. Heck, he would have taken an unexpected alien attack if it would make Kitty stop clinging, or at least a revived Cell. The brunette looked disappointed, but seemed to accept Jean's words.

Gohan followed Jean quickly up the grand staircase, taking care to memorize any locations she pointed out. They passed by classrooms, the teacher's offices, and a medical wing, and Jean even took the time to point out the directions of both the stables and outdoor pool before they entered a long corridor filled with many doors. She paused at one.

"This is the dormitory wing." She explained. "This is my room. If you have questions or you can't find something, feel free to knock."

Jean led him three doors further. "And this is your room," she declared, opening the door and ushering him inside. Gohan froze in the middle of the room, surprised by the size.

"Bigger than you're used to?"

"You could say that." The room was half the size of his house.

"We get that a lot from new students. Dinner is served at seven o'clock, so I'll come by around six forty five and show you to the dining room." Jean told him. "That will give you a couple hours to unpack."

Gohan smiled, grateful for her help. "Thanks. And Thanks for rescuing me back there."

"No problem. If you want, I can spread it around that you have a girlfriend back in Japan." Jean offered. "That way, you won't have Kitty or anyone else chasing you."

"That would be great!" Gohan exclaimed. "Especially since I actually do have a girlfriend."

"It would make things less awkward." Jean surmised.

"Yeah, pretty much."

"No problem." Jean gave him a genuine smile. "I'll see you later Gohan."

"Yeah, later."

…..

The teachers of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters were gathered in the man's office. Over the years, it had become custom to discuss their initial opinions of their students. But this was the first time the discussion would have nothing to do with a mutation and how to control it. Nothing on whether emotions could cause powers to become dangerous. In a way it was a relief, and yet at the same time, everyone involved felt like they were forgetting something important.

"He's certainly shy." Hank began. The entire time in the entrance hall, Son Gohan had appeared nervous, like he wasn't used to crowds.

"He was home schooled until last year." Xavier noted, skimming through the boy's school records. "Was accepted into Orange Star High School as a 3rd year student with perfect scores on all his entrance exams. Apparently he made friends quickly and is well liked by his teachers, and he remains at the top of his class despite taking a months leave of absence last year."

"No wonder he was selected for the exchange program." Ororo noted. "But his behavior this afternoon doesn't fit with that description."

Logan snorted. "Sure it does. He grew up in the middle of the woods with his mom and his little brother. Give him a few days to get to know everyone and he'll be fine. He wasn't shy on the ride over."

"I see. Charles, were you able to discern if he had any opinions on mutants?" This was the one thing Hank was most curious about. He and Kurt both preferred not to wear image inducers unless absolutely necessary.

"Actually, no." Xavier frowned at this. It was unusual that he couldn't receive an emotion by planting a keyword in a mind as a type of probe, even amongst other mutants. "When I attempted test his mind, I encountered an image of a large ape-like creature blocking my path."

"Could he be a mutant whose powers are still dormant?" Ororo asked.

"At his age, it is unlikely. Only in rare occasions does the x-gene become active after puberty."

"He did smell odd." Logan stated.

"What do you mean?" Hank asked.

"I don't know. It was…something just wasn't right." The other three were all giving him odd looks, so he elaborated. "It's…all humans have the same base scent. It just fluctuates with things like hormones. Mutants, being human, have that same base scent. But Gohan's base scent…it was different."

"How could it be different?" came the obvious question, courtesy of Ororo.

"I don't know. It was human, but there was something else to it. I don't know what."

"Interesting." Xavier folded his hands together, turning to stare out the window. "At this moment, I do not believe he is a threat. However, I believe it would be wise to keep our secrets a while, and to keep a close watch on him."

The other teachers agreed, used enough to the unknown to know to be cautious of it.

…..

Gohan found the package at the bottom of his suitcase, carefully wrapped in brown paper, with a note attached. He smiled at the writing on the note, recognizing it as his fathers, despite the fact that he had obviously taken care to make it more legible than normal.

_**Gohan – **_

_**Goten and I thought you could use a few things to help you out in America. So we got them together while your mom was breaking the news to you. Good luck, and most importantly, have fun!**_

_**-Dad**_

Eager to see what his dad and brother had sent, he placed the note aside, and unwrapped the box. Removing the lid, he found a bottle of pills, resting on top of another note.

_**Gohan – **_

_**These pills will help curb that Saiyan appetite of yours. Just take one a day, and you'll be able to get by on what a normal human eats. As long as you don't do any heavy duty training beyond Super Saiyan, they should provide enough energy for you to maintain a healthy body weight. I even tested them out on Vegeta to make sure. Just write when you're running low and I'll send you more.**_

_**The capsule contains one gravity chamber – **_

Gohan checked the box again, this time pulling out a standard Capsule Corp capsule labeled GC-V3.

_**The capsule contains one gravity chamber for you to train in. It's capable of simulating 500 times Earth's gravity, but I wouldn't recommend going beyond 250 times Earth gravity while taking those pills. **_

_**Be careful, and have fun in America!**_

_**Bulma**_

"All right, Bulma!" The gravity capsule would definitely be useful. He carefully hid the capsule in a pair of socks, knowing that it wasn't listed by the Capsule Corporation as one of their manufactured items. Returning to the box again, he withdrew a small brown bag. He pulled a note from the bag's white tie, again seeing his father's handwriting.

_**Gohan – **_

_**Korin sent these. Hopefully you won't need them. He's decided that it might be safer to keep multiple stores of Senzu Beans around the world in case of emergency.**_

Gohan couldn't disagree with this. It seemed like whenever there was an emergency there were only one or two to be found. He stashed the Senzu Beans in his sock drawer with the gravity chamber. Picking the last item out of the box, he found another note, this time from Goten.

_**Hey Gohan!**_

_**Dad said I should get this for you, so here it is. I hope you like it! I'll miss you, big brother!**_

_**Goten**_

The attached item was a picture frame, and in it a photo taken a few months earlier, the same day they had used the Dragon Balls to erase the world's memory of Majin Buu. All his family and friends were in it, from Piccolo and Krillin to Videl. Even Vegeta had consented to be in the picture. The only thing missing was the Saiyan prince's smile, and even Hercule Satan had refrained from using one of his ridiculous paparazzi faces. It was one of Gohan's favorite pictures, and Goten knew it.

"Thanks, little bro." The picture was accorded a place of honor on the table next to his bed. He took the first of Bulma's pills before hiding the little bottle under his pillow, just before he heard a knock on the door.

"Gohan? Ready to head to dinner?"

The teen in question looked up in surprise, before checking his watch. It was still set to his home time zone. _'Oops. Oh well._' He exited the room to where Jean was waiting in the corridor.

"You ready?"

"Yeah! Let's go!" The year here would be an adventure, of that Gohan was certain. And he planned to enjoy every minute of it.

* * *

**Authors Note: I was asked in a review about the time line for this story, so I thought I'd answer it here to clear the confusion for everyone. This story takes place the year after Gohan started at Orange Star High, a few months after the Dragon Balls were used to wipe the worlds memory of Buu. I'm using the manga ages, so this is 8 years after cell, and Gohan is 17. He and Videl are dating at this point, and she does know about him being a Super Saiyan. For the X-Men, this is the year after Mystique leaves Bayville High, but before she pretends to be Xavier. Thank you all for the reviews, they're both encouraging and appreciated :)**


	3. Chapter 3

As they approached the dining room, Gohan could make out the voices of many teenagers, dueling in a rather loud argument. Though his hearing was better than any normal human's due to his Saiyan blood, he suspected that due to the sheer number of decibels the argument was being held at, any normal human that was not completely deaf could hear it too. A quick glance at Jean confirmed this, her cheeks bright pink.

"Are they always like this?" He wondered as an assortment of words related to the seating arrangement drifted down the hall to them.

"Not usually." Jean laughed. "Everyone just seems to turn back into six year olds whenever we get a new student. Especially if it's someone the girls think is cute…"

She laughed again as Gohan ducked his head, his turn to blush. "Me? Cute? No way!" Despite hearing Erasa call him that fairly regularly back at Orange Star High, he had never gotten used to the sentiment.

Jean just shook her head at his denial and ushered him towards the dining room, the two occasionally suppressing a giggle at some of the arguments employed by the girls of Xavier's Institute in their determination to sandwich Gohan between them, and the boy's retaliatory comments in their effort to 'rescue' Gohan from his admiring hordes. They arrived in the doorway, just in time to see Logan rise and plant both hands on the table, practically growling at the students.

"That's enough!" an instant silence fell. "He'll sit here." Logan motioned to the chair next to him, his tone leaving no room for any debate. Gohan noticed both Ms. Munroe and Dr. McCoy nodding grateful to the gruff coach, each looking like they had been developing headaches. The girls and boys alike meanwhile glared at Logan from around the table, resentment clear on their faces. Only professor Xavier seemed above the whole incident, chin rested serenely on interlaced fingers as he looked past the chastised students to the pair waiting in the door.

"Ah, Gohan, Jean. Please, join us." He invited, smiling warmly as he motioned them into the room.

The students in question ventured into the awkward silence, Gohan settling into the empty seat next to Logan. The gruff man nodded in approval as he retook his own seat. The boy Kitty had called Kurt smiled at him from Gohan's other side.

Once Jean took her own seat next to Scott, the students began passing dishes. For a few minutes the only sounds were those of serving spoons clanking against plates as teachers and teens alike helped themselves. Gohan found himself grateful, it was not until the meal had worn on for a quarter of an hour that chatter broke out, and only then did the students attention return to him. As those around the table finished their dinners, they began to ask a steady stream of questions, the first coming from Kurt.

"So, Gohan. Vat do you do for fun?"

Gohan shrugged as he set his fork down, plate scraped clean. "Well, mostly I just hang out with my little brother. We go fishing together pretty often."

Kitty shook her head from across the table. "Yeah, but don't you ever hang out with your friends from school?"

Gohan thought back to his classmates at Orange Star High. Certainly, he considered Erasa and Sharpener as friends, but he didn't hang out with them often unless Videl had been asked to join them somewhere on a weekend. It was partly because he was often patrolling Satan City as Saiyaman, and partly to maintain the image of having a five hour commute to school every day.

"I don't have much time to hang out with anyone but my girlfriend…I kind of have a long commute. Usually if we want to do anything outside of school, I have to fly in on the weekends."

The students just stared at him. "Fly?"

"Um…yeah. Don't you guys have air cars?"

He simply received more confused looks.

"Capsule Corporation doesn't export their products here, and they advance their technology so quickly and update patents so often no company here has been able to come close." Logan explained.

"Oh, I see." Gohan frowned, he hadn't realized that Bulma had accumulated that kind of wealth with only Japan as a market.

"How do you know about it, Logan?" wondered one of the younger students, Gohan suspected his name started with 'B'.

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you." Logan stated matter-of-factly with a smirk, and again Gohan was forcibly reminded of Vegeta and his sense of humour.

"Well anyway, you make it sound like you live in the middle of nowhere." Kitty joked, dismissing the discussion of air cars.

Gohan scratched the back of his head. "Well, pretty much. We live in the mountains, the closest village is miles away."

A flurry of chatter broke out at this. Gohan caught several exclamations and questions, which made him want to laugh.

"Dude, that would drive me insane! How are you supposed to order pizza or Chinese at three in the morning?" Ever the city dweller, Evan Daniels was barely adjusted to the Westchester-Bayville area, typical suburbia. The thought of living in the wilderness was atrocious. He ignored the students who were suppressing laughter.

"Well, we really wouldn't ever need to. My mom is a pretty good cook… my girlfriend says that even their hired chef can't do better."

"So don't you ever go to the mall? Or the movies?"

"Not really…if we do it's usually an all weekend trip to the city."

Most of the teenagers were wearing looks of complete disbelief. Each of the teachers looked amused by their expressions. After a minute or so, Scott broke the awkward silence.

"So, Gohan. Do you play any sports?"

This question grabbed the attention of the rest, as those who participated in Bayville's sports program leaned forward.

"Not really. I practice martial arts with my girlfriend, but that's about it."

Some of the students looked taken aback by this, and Gohan could easily guess why. He knew he looked more like a nerd than a fighter, and his Orange Star classmates' reactions to his athleticism had only confirmed that knowledge.

"What about your classes? What are you taking?" Jean asked, doing her best to give the boy a break.

"Oh, well, U.S. Government, English, Advanced Chemistry, Programming, and Physical Education." He hadn't wanted to take Government or English, but his mother had insisted on the grounds that they were 'normal classes', and had reminded him that the high school required them. Fortunately, he had already exceeded Bayville's math and science requirements, leaving him to take those classes at the institute. "I'm also taking college Calculus and Physics here."

At this, the institute's students spit out a vast amount of information in a very short time about their own schedules. The most Gohan was able to gather from the babble was that he wouldn't be alone in his classes, as at least one person from the institute was in each. Even in his non-high school classes, he wouldn't be alone as he suspected, as Jean Grey was also taking calculus and physics from Dr. McCoy.

Eventually, discussions of classes fell away, and Gohan found himself warming up to the other students as they all pitched in together to help clear the table, store leftovers, and wash dishes. The entire time they worked, they kept a conversation, explaining that while the night's dinner was more formal than normal and that they were all expected to help clean and maintain the mansion. He also began to learn what they did for fun both around the mansion and Bayville on weekends or during the evening. Some of the more competitive students told him about the sports they played (all while they surreptitiously tried to recruit him to try it himself) and the clubs they were part of. Gohan could see they were a tight knit family, as they worked and spoke around each other, interjecting with ease into each other's conversations. It reminded him of home.

Gohan spent the rest of the weekend pretending to learn his way around the mansion. In reality, it hadn't taken much more than Jean's tour for him to figure out where everything was, especially after he had trained himself to memorize layouts in a few seconds while flying. But the other students expected him to get lost, so lost he got. Ultimately, most of the students spent the two days indoors due to torrential downpours, but for a while when the weather slowed to just a sprinkle, Gohan took the opportunity to get out of the game room where most of the students were and look for a concealed area where he would be able to decapsulize the gravity room, claiming he wanted to explore the property while the rain was slowed. Most of them looked at him like he was crazy, but no one questioned his motives. Ultimately he decided on a small woodland clearing which had a canopy covering about half a mile from the mansion. It was far enough from the path that others wouldn't be able to see it. Mind made up, Gohan returned to the mansion, just in time to avoid the transition from light rain to heavy downpour again.

* * *

On Monday morning, Gohan awoke to a new set of nerves, though they were less severe than those he had felt on Friday. He guessed it was because he now at least knew some of those he would be at school with. After getting dressed, he arrived downstairs in search of breakfast, only to be amazed by the odd dance routine through which the other students moved. Many ducked around others, while some handed various food items to others before they could even be asked. Some weren't eating breakfast at all, and were instead scribbling furiously at homework they had ignored all weekend. Sitting down with a bowl of cereal next to a girl named Jubilation, he frowned at the death stare she was giving the math book in front of her.

"Something wrong?" he asked, taking a bite.

She frowned. "No. I'm just no good at math, is all." she sighed, and shut the book, careful to place her incomplete homework inside.

He had seen her working on the math several times over the last couple days, but had never heard her ask any of the teachers for help with it. It was something he had noticed at Orange Star High too. Many of the students there preferred to barely pass a class than admit they needed help. Gohan wasn't sure why, but if they wanted to waste their tuition money, that was their choice.

Seeing Gohan's slight look of confusion, Jubilation sighed again. "Yeah, I probably should have asked Dr. McCoy for help. But it gets embarrassing having to ask for help every night, you know?"

"Yeah, sure." Gohan agreed, despite having no clue. His mother's voice was in his head, going on about how he should always be a gentleman. "Um, I could always help you too, if you need it."

"Really?"

At his nod, a big smile appeared on Jubilation's face and she threw her arms around him, pulling him into an awkward hug. Somehow he managed to keep his cereal on his spoon. "Thanks Gohan! You're the best!"

And with that, she released him, grabbed her math book, and ran out the door, leaving a stunned half Saiyan in her wake.

"That was nice of you." Said Scott as he took Jubilee's seat, taking a bite out of an apple.

"I guess. I tutored a few friends in math at Orange Star, and my mom is always telling me to be a gentleman, so I figured 'why not?'". Gohan scratched the back of his head, blushing as he did so.

"It's nice that some guys here have manners." Jean stated from his other side, and Gohan turned to her, blushing deeper. Scott leaned around Gohan, continuing to munch on his apple as he frowned at the red head.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Jean just gave a mischievous smile, eyes twinkling. "Nothing."

"Uh huh." Gohan could see by Scott's raised eyebrow that he clearly did not believe her. He let it go though.

"Well, finish up, Gohan. I'm driving you to school today so we can show you around campus before classes start."

"Right." He quickly finished the bowl of cereal and placed his dishes in the washer, before following Scott and Jean to the institute's vast garage. The trio hopped into Scotts Candy red convertible, putting the top down for the drive to school. It was a short trip, leaving plenty of time to show Gohan where each of his classes were. They stopped by the office for his locker assignment, and Scott and Jean even introduced him to some of their friends as other students began arriving.

Feeling much better about the day ahead, Gohan settled down next to Marie in his first class, Chemistry. Some of the students gave him odd looks, as most of the students who weren't from the institute had a tendency to give her a wide berth.

"What's with them?" He asked, disapproving of their expressions.

"They think I'm weird." She replied. She gave him a smile though. "It'll be nice to finally have a lab partner."

"Um…no problem?"

Marie laughed at his awkwardness. "You're all right, Gohan. You're all right."

The pair carefully worked away at their experiment for the hour, Marie reminding him on several occasions to use English measurements instead of metric. Sheepishly he apologized after the third time, and the girl laughed, admitting that for all they did to encourage students to take science, they went about it a backwards way. Gohan chuckled at this, and then flushed as their teacher ordered them to get back to work.

Following Chemistry, Marie and Gohan walked to programming, where they met with Jean and Scott. The four claimed their own row of computers, and set to the day's assignment of writing a program that would perform basic mathematical functions on command using Fortran. Gohan finished the assignment with ease thanks to his experience with Bulma's programs and contraptions, and spent the rest of the class talking his fellows from the institute through the trouble shooting process each time one of them found an error.

The group stayed together for their next class as well, US Government. The period was spent with each student filling out a citizenship test given to immigrants in past years. Gohan was surprised to find as the class filtered through the door and towards the cafeteria that most of them had found the exam to be fairly difficult. He hadn't thought it all that hard.

Following lunch, during which they were joined by several other students from the institute, Gohan set off to English with Kitty and Kurt. After an hour of hearing about grammar, all three were ready for their phys ed class. It was there that Gohan was introduced to hockey for the first time.

Much the same way that Gohan had been the last chosen for the baseball teams at Orange Star High, he was the last selected here as well. His new team captain placed him in goal with the intention of keeping him out of the way. By the end of the class, the same captain was begging him to play goalie for the schools team, their teacher nodding furiously behind him. Embarrassed, Gohan declined repeatedly, barely managing not to sigh in relief when Kurt rescued him and led him back to the locker room.

He met Jean in front of the school, something they had panned earlier. They were allowed to leave Bayville an hour earlier than other students, as they were both taking college level classes at the institute. She showed him the fastest way to walk home, and pointed out the paths to avoid. He was relieved when they finally walked through the main foyer of the mansion and headed to Dr. McCoy's office. It wasn't that he had disliked Bayville or had a bad day, it was that he hadn't found the high school particularly challenging. He looked forward to the more difficult classes offered at the institute.

If there was one thing he determined at the end of the day, it was that he was in for an interesting nine months. The students from the institute were all characters, and he suspected that they would make even his most dull class, English, more amusing. It would be an interesting time, indeed.

**Authors Notes: Someone named Bob brought up the senzu bean thing. Here's my argument for that: yes, senzu beans are supposed to fill a person up for 10 days. However, in dragonball it's noted that they don't seem to work as well for Goku (read: Saiyans), and frankly, I think it would be just as odd for Gohan to eat nothing for days and be accused of anorexia as it would for him to eat 10 times what a normal human does. To DemonKittyAngel: in the outline, yes, Goku is dead. However, I tweaked the ages/timeline to make Gohan being an exchange student make sense, resulting in him being in high school, post buu-saga. So Goku is alive. Gohan is also supposed to depressed in the original outline, but frankly, I have no idea how to write chapter on chapter of depressed Gohan. But that's what happens when you outline a plot for someone else, you expect that they may change a few things or take some liberties to make things fit better. Hope that clears things up :)**

**Thanks again for the reviews guys! Hopefully the next one won't take so long. This one had the flu, bronchitis, a very nasty sinus infection, two term projects, final exams, moving (twice!), and work to contend with. Next one I only have to work around work.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**/that awkward moment when it takes two years to update. But hey, I graduated from college and am busy job hunting, so that's good, right?**

**6tailedninja - actually, I've never read the manga. This is based off the outline by jerribrent and my knowledge of the anime (subbed and dubbed).**

**starkiss66 - Unfortunately no brotherhood till next chapter. And yeah, I do want some Loagn Kitty moments, but so far haven't found a good place for them.**

It was still strange to Gohan that he actually had the time to hangout after school with his friends. Granted, most of them were from the institute, but all in all he rather enjoyed the fact that he didn't have to fly home immediately after class just to keep appearances. Fridays like this, where Dr. McCoy gave he and Jean the day off were quickly becoming his favorites.

The first time, two weeks ago, the kids from the institute dragged him into town. He was introduced to the concept of an arcade for the first time, and had to be forcibly removed by the other students after spending 45 minutes trying to beat a video game modeled after the cell games, determined to do so without using the character based on Hercule. They had then moved on to a miniature golf course, and he had been forced to accept that his idea of restraint was woefully inadequate as the small blue ball bounced off the back wall of each hole, narrowly missing his fellow students more than once.

For Gohan's second adventure into the world of American youth culture, the students had decided on something they thought was less addictive and dangerous: a trip to the Bayville Cinema to see some new science fiction movie that was all the rage. The night before, professor Xavier had given all those students who took classes at the institute permission to skip for the day, so he, Jean, Scott, and Marie waited patiently in the quad for the regular school day to end for the others. When it finally did, they were joined by Evan, Kitty, Kurt, and Jubilation before they began walking to the theater.

The walk there was entertaining, as Evan skateboarded ahead of the group, doing stunts for any girls they passed. Kurt was telling bad jokes, which made Kitty giggle and seemed to annoy Scott, who only seemed to relax after both Jean and Marie ragged on him to loosen up. It was only when they walked into a police barricade a block from the cinema that their fun stopped.

They were able to surmise that it was a bank robbery by eavesdropping on other bystanders. For some reason he couldn't identify, Gohan suddenly felt like an outsider with the institute kids, as Scott and Jean seemed to have a conversation without speaking. Jean nodded, and then Scott issued orders.

"Rogue, you stay here with Jubilee. Kurt, Evan, and Kitty, you're with me and Jean."

It was only after the rest of the group followed them that Gohan realized they had all forgotten him. He found it odd that the five had run off, dropping their book bags with Rogue and Jubilation, but ignored that. Instead he made a decision and dropped his bag with theirs, taking the opportunity to dart into an alley way and then jump to the roof tops. He had never allowed robberies to proceed in Japan and couldn't do so here with a clear conscience, though he wished he had his Saiyaman outfit. Instead he did the next best thing, and powered up to Super Saiyan before moving quickly and effortlessly to the bank.

It was all over in a matter of seconds. He appeared in front of the would be robber who seemed to be in charge, grabbing the submachine gun from his hands and folding it easily in half as the man's jaw dropped. He gave a smart tap to the side of the man's skull as the other two robbers opened fire on him, before phasing out and appearing behind each in turn, knocking them unconscious in similar fashion. He was gone from the scene before the police could begin to process what was happening in front of them, and had returned to stand near Marie in a powered down state, casually snagging his bag back before she could remember there was an eighth member of their group, let alone realize he was gone.

It was all over in a matter of seconds. The X-Men never had the time to change, instead watching in shock as what appeared to be a blond haired teen easily defeat the robbers, displaying a strength reminiscent of the Blob and either a speed like Quicksilver's or a teleporting ability similar to Nightcrawler's. The teen was gone as quickly as he appeared, leaving three unconscious criminals and a folded gun in his wake. It took Scott several minutes to recover from his shock, and it was only when he led the group back to Rogue and Jubilee and saw the Japanese student standing behind the pair that he remembered it wasn't just the X-Men on this outing.

The other four seemed to be thinking along the same lines, shooting him covert looks, but no one spoke. Rogue was frowning as they returned.

"What happened?" She drawled, obviously confused by their quick return.

"There vas this kid!" Kurt exclaimed. "He beat the robbers, like dat!" He snapped his fingers for emphasis. Rogue raised an eyebrow and Scott noticed Gohan peering over her shoulder at them, curiosity written on the boys face.

"Like that, huh?" She frowned some more, crossing her arms. "Do you think he was a mutant?"

"He had to be, man! He was faster than Quicksilver!" Scott could hear the glee in Evan's voice.

"Mutant?" Gohan asked, almost too quietly for Scott to hear.

Jubilee rounded on the Japanese boy, looking at him oddly. "You know, people with the X Gene? Gives them crazy powers? I thought that Cell guy in Japan was one."

Still looking slightly confused, Gohan shook his head. "No, Cell was an Android. Though I suppose we have mutants. It's never really come up."

"Oh." Jubilee's face fell, looking like she didn't know what to think. Scott couldn't blame her. The government had told all Americans that Cell was just another mutant looking for power and while the mutant population didn't like it, they didn't really have a choice about believing it either. After all, what type of laser shooting green guy wasn't a mutant?

"Supposedly, there's a bunch of mutants living in and around Bayville." Kitty informed Gohan. "Some of them help people, others like to cause havoc."

Scott could see she was trying to get a reaction. He let her; it would be nice to know if they wouldn't always have to hide from him.

The Japanese boy shrugged as the group finally started walking towards the theater again. "So?"

"You mean your government isn't always arguing about how dangerous mutants are?" Evan asked.

"No."

"Well why not?"

Gohan shrugged again. "I don't know."

Jean was more tactful. "Well, what do you think about them?"

Gohan seemed to think for a minute before answering. "Some people are good and some people are bad. Humans and mutants. But they're still all people and should be treated by others based on who they are, not what they are."

And that was that.

* * *

When they returned to the mansion, Scott and Jean sought out Professor X, finding him waiting in his office with the other teachers.

"I guess you saw the news about the robbery then." Scott stated, knowing the answer by their faces.

"We did." Professor Xavier confirmed.

"Was it a mutant?" Ororo asked, curious as they all were about what looked to be multiple abilities.

"It had to be. He moved faster than Quicksilver and bent a gun in half like it was paper." In retrospect, Scott knew only Magneto could have bent metal that easily.

"Jean, were you able to get anything from his mind?" the Professor wondered redirecting his attention to his telepathic protégé.

"No." even she sounded surprised by that fact. "It was like his mind was shielded by pure energy. I couldn't get through it."

"It is as I expected." The Professor sighed. "Cerebro was unable to locate any new mutants in the area, as well. We have no way to track him or otherwise discover his identity."

"Do you think he's dangerous, Charles?" this question from Dr. McCoy.

"His powers suggest that he could be, though his actions speak otherwise. For now it would appear that he only wishes to keep others safe." Xavier surmised.

"I'll go by tomorrow. See if I can sniff anything out." Logan offered from the corner.

"Very well. In the meanwhile, Scott and Jean, stay on your toes. And tell the others to do the same." Xavier ordered.

"You got it professor." Scott agreed, as he and jean took their leave. He was nearly out the door when he remembered Gohan's words earlier. "Oh! Professor!"

The teachers, whom had begun a discussion as they turned to leave, fell silent at his exclamation. They waited patiently for him to explain.

"There's something Gohan said earlier that you should probably be aware of."

"What's that, kid?" Logan guessed it was related to mutants and possibly the Japanese boy's opinions of them. He knew mutants lived a lot more openly in Japan, if the World Martial Arts tournaments were anything to go by.

"He said that Cell was an android, not a mutant."

"The Cell Game's Cell?" McCoy asked for verification. Scott nodded.

"He also said 'Some people are good and some people are bad. Humans and mutants. But they're still all people and should be treated by others based on who they are, not what they are.'" Something to think about, I guess."

"Interesting." The professor stated as he rested his chin on interlaced fingers. "Very Interesting."

The teachers waited for the door to latch before continuing their conversation. Dr. McCoy was the first to speak.

"If cell was an android…that would change things." The scientist mused. "Clearly he was built to look like a mutant. Possibly be someone hoping to turn public opinion."

"Perhaps." Ororo agreed. "Of course, that doesn't answer any questions about whether or not Hercule Satan is a mutant, as previously thought."

"Hard to say." Logan grunted. "Before my memories go fuzzy, I saw a couple world martial arts tournaments. And the fighters… some were human. Some were mutant. Some I'm not even sure what. There was a kid that turned into a giant ape once, you know."

"I've never heard of such a mutation." McCoy observed.

"I don't think he was a mutant. Something about him smelled different. Can't remember now though. Too hazy."

"It's something that may be worth looking into." Xavier decided. "Ororo, see what you can find in various historical databases. Hank, do the same in the scientific ones. Logan, I understand Gohan has discussed martial arts with you in the past?"

"Try and find out what he knows in passing?"

"If you would."

"You got it, prof."


End file.
